Second world war remembrance gives nations a chance to renew their bonds
Donald Gasper says the upcoming remembrance of the end of the second world war will allow nations to face up to the past while focusing on cooperative strategies so vital to the future
After a long and bloody war that left few countries untouched, the defeat of the Axis powers 70 years ago was undoubtedly the key event that shaped our modern world. It was made possible by a coalition of countries that, while they might have had differences on many issues, shared a belief in the importance of uniting to save human civilisation from the threat of barbarism.
The Russian Federation and China, two members of that wartime coalition, have announced that to mark the anniversary, they will be staging a number of events in the coming months, to which other countries will be invited. After a resurgence of international tensions recently, this could be a chance for the major powers to forge a new relationship.
The importance of this year's anniversary is reflected in the recent statement by China's foreign minister, Wang Yi , that commemorations of the victory of 1945 are one of the top priorities for Chinese diplomacy this year.
"Our goal is to remember history, commemorate the martyrs, cherish peace and look to the future," he said, speaking at the annual meeting of the National People's Congress.
There is a trend among certain forces to rewrite the verdict on the war and to downplay the Chinese contribution to the allied victory.
Historian Rana Mitter, in his recent book , seeks to put the record straight. He argues that by bogging down Japanese troops, the Chinese people's war of resistance - which involved immense sacrifice in terms of lives - allowed the United States to focus on winning the war against Italy and Germany before going on to defeat Japan.
"This is rarely acknowledged," says Jean-Pierre Lehmann, emeritus professor of international political economy at IMD (International Institute for Management Development) in Lausanne, Switzerland, who wrote recently about historiographical distortions of the Pacific War: "China has been, to a considerable extent, air-brushed out of the history books. The reason, of course, is that the Chinese turned communist shortly after the war ended - hence they became the United States' enemy."
The Russian Federation, the main successor state to the Soviet Union, made a huge contribution to the defeat of both Germany and Japan. In Churchill's words, it was the Red Army that "tore the guts" out of the Nazi war machine.
Like China, the Soviet Union suffered huge losses to secure the defeat of fascism, with 20 million deaths in the colossal struggle to defeat Hitler. And like China, Russia is concerned by attempts to rewrite the history of the war and whitewash aggression. An example of this occurred earlier this year when, in connection with the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp by the Red Army in January 1945, the representative of one Eastern European country claimed the camp had been liberated only by Ukrainians and denied the key role played by Russian and other Soviet troops. No representative of the Russian Federation was invited to the commemoration ceremony.
This was in striking contrast to the commemoration meeting held here in Hong Kong at the Jewish Community Centre in January, when diplomats from Russia, the United States and Britain stood side by side (with their counterparts from Israel and Germany) in a solemn ceremony to mark the anniversary.
Returning to Japan, both Russia and China are interested in that country's active involvement in the formation of the security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, including taking into account the Russian and Chinese initiatives aimed at creating a non-bloc, open system of security and cooperation in the region.
Speaking in response to a question about whether Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would be invited to attend the victory commemoration, Wang, the Chinese foreign minister, said: "We will extend the invitation to the leaders of all relevant countries and international organisations. No matter who it is, as long as they come in sincerity, we welcome them."
Many believe the anniversary will be a great opportunity for Abe to make clear his country's attitude to history. Some are sceptical, however, whether he will repeat the statement of his predecessor, Tomiichi Murayama, which referred to Japan's "colonial rule and aggression".
"[Abe's] past statements rejecting the verdicts of the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, which serve as the foundation of the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty with Japan, trouble us," says Jan Thompson, a representative of former US prisoners of war.
The celebrations of the end of the war are a chance not just for Japan but for all countries to reflect on the past and look to the future. They could provide an opportunity for all sides to join in tackling some of the major issues facing our planet.
